TWO priests charged with sexually assaulting young males appeared before Judge Donnchadh O Buachalla at Wexford District Court yesterday and were remanded until April 3rd.
One defendant, a retired cleric of 58, had 11 additional charges brought against him, including six charges of indecent assault and five of gross indecency. The offences involving two injured parties allegedly occurred between 1972 and 1984.
Det Garda Pat Geoghegan said the defendant made no reply when the extra charges were proferred against him. The retired priest faces 21 charges, having been earlier charged with two counts of indecent assault, seven of gross indecency and one charge of attempted buggery, against two young males over four years in the 1970s.
The State solicitor, Mr Jack McEvoy, said the Book of Evidence in relation to the earlier charges had already been served on the defendant. But he understood the defence was seeking an adjournment because fresh charges had emerged.
It was not a question of this matter being dealt with in a piecemeal way, he said it was simply that the State had to deal with additional complaints coming forward.
The second defendant, a former Wexford curate of 42, faces 66 charges which include indecent assault, gross indecency, buggery and inciting a male to commit an act of gross indecency.
Mr Robert Eagar, solicitor, said that in his case the Book of Evidence had been served, but he wanted an adjournment to facilitate consultations with counsel. He had briefed counsel in the case, he said, and had asked questions to which the answers had not yet been supplied.
Mr McEvoy said he had no objection to an adjournment but he would not like to see the matter continuing indefinitely.